Beginning Your Tree

Don't know where to start on your own family tree?  Here are some tips:

1.  Where to put your tree
Personally, I've uploaded all my information up on Ancestry.com.  Other sites such as Geni.com offer similar services, although I find Ancestry easier to navigate.  I've been told that you should have a backup in hard copy in case, heaven forbid, something happens to it and all your hard earned information gets wiped.  You can also download and print out charts from Family History Products or other charts by searching "blank pedigree charts" on Google.  You can buy larger charts with 14 or so generations too, although I haven't gotten my hands on one of those yet.  Once you have a location for your tree, fill in what you know.

2.  Ask your family members
Get in touch with your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings, whoever.  Ask for information about names, birth dates, death dates, and places.  Ask family members for any records, such as birth, marriage, death, or anything from the military.  Even the smallest facts can help you to expand your tree.

3.  Condense your search
Start with a specific lineage you want to begin with.  Trying to uncover all your ancestors at once can be overwhelming, so pick a surname and stick to it.

4.  Online resources
Most of the information I have found has been online.  Although I don't have a membership on Ancestry (memberships run over $30 a month), I can still utilize many of the free databases they offer.  Other sites such as FamilySearch.org and a sister site of Ancestry, RootsWeb.com, provide free information, and besides Ancestry, I use these sites most frequently.

5.  Libraries and courthouses
Search your local genealogy library or, if applicable, search your local courthouse for possible information.  If your family lived somewhere other than your current residence, travel there (if possible) and search their local courthouses, libraries, or other places that hold important records.

6.  Record
Throughout your searching and hunting, take detailed notes and print information that you can refer to later.